Chapter 3 – The White Shark

“I couldn’t thank you guys enough. You are good people. Hope we can remain friends. Of course, if it’s a mutual desire.” Mika found herself speaking halfway to destination.

“I don’t know about my boss, but for me, it’s same desire. You are an interesting gal, the kind I make friends with. Here is my business card. Call me whenever you need help, or a drink buddy. I’m in. Doesn’t matter the time. I am at a phone call distance, wherever you might be.” Drake’s voice was friendly, and a genuine smile conquered his lips, having his shades on.

“I will. Thanks, Drake.” She placed his business card in her purse, returning the smile.

“I will send your car to our car service and will give you the details. You don’t have to worry about it. I will take care of everything. You just need to focus on your own business. We will speak after the meeting. I will wait for you downstairs, or if you want a man with you, I can go in as your personal assistant. It’s your call. Either way, I am your friend in need anytime.” Drake offered his aid in the name of friendship.

“I will go alone. But thank you. You are indeed a great friend, though we have just acquainted. Still, these are things I need to do by myself. That’s a thing my dad taught me. Sharks need to be put down. Only a white shark will put a leash on them. Be that shark with no fear, they will obey and keep a distance. To be a great businessman, you need to be fearless, though you may be on the verge of bankruptcy. As long as you stay stern, everyone will follow you and things will take a normal course. You are the man! That’s what he said, and I walk on that path always.” Mika confessed with a lost gaze on the car’s front window, remembering the moment when her father trained her. He had known he would be killed but didn’t know when. So, since Mika was six, he raised her with business lessons all the time. She was to become the heir, she needed to be prepared. The burden would have to be put on her shoulders.

“It sounds like he thought he had a son, not a daughter. Still, it seems he was a great man and a good dad. I feel your love for him and that you miss him.” Drake had his heart constantly increasing its beats and wanting to hear more about her. Every time she would say something, he would briefly take his eyes off the road and stare at her lips and to the depths of her glamorous eyes. It was like she was surrounded by a flashy aura calling for him to embrace her. Such peace grew inside of him while being near her. His being was telling him that she was home. Brightstone was an hour drive, but he wanted to never reach it. Being with her was all he wanted at that point.

“Truth be told, they thought I was a boy when mom was pregnant with me. I was a big baby. When the doctor took the tests to see the baby’s sex, because of the fat I had in the genital area, he concluded I was a boy. So, they named me Michael. When I was born, they informed my father that I was a girl. He said it must be a mistake, they were supposed to have a boy.” She giggled. “Anyway, they loved me, nonetheless. Took me to every sport he thought of, made me strong and knowledgeable, raised me like a boy in some areas, but let me be a girl for the right aspects. To be a lady with a man’s strength. And I liked it. Never felt weak….” She paused, her eyes becoming teary, but only for a moment. “The only time I felt weak and powerless, was when the news of his death came. It was like I died inside. I didn’t have the means or strength to do anything to get him back. My mom collapsed. Detectives had no choice, but to take me to identify his body. I went there, and….” She stopped for a second time as a ball of pressure stuck in her throat. “And I saw him on that cold metal table with a white sheet covering him. My dad, who was once the strongest man on Earth, tall and well-built, looked like a fragile creature, soulless, with his cheeks sucked. He had a two-teeth mark on his left side of the neck, and on his abdomen a big scratch as if a beast tore him. But they concluded it as a car accident. Still battling them on the case for that.” Mika ended her story with sadness in her eyes that dimmed their sparkle.

“They took you? Such cold people! You were only a kid! They should have waited for your mom to come back to her senses.” Drake was upset, but the story seemed familiar to him. She was right, it wasn’t an accident. He knew better what kind of creature would have done that. The accident was only a cover, and the criminal had a high status to have such means to cover things up with police involved. It must have been someone from the nine families. Her dad went on something that ended like that. Drake was confused on who the person really was that offended one of the nine families to the state of getting murdered.

“It’s OK. I am glad it was me and not mom. She would have died there to witness that. It gives me a feeling of happiness to at least keep her from that and leave her with only the pleasant memories of him.” She displayed a sunny smile, keeping her eyes on the road.

“You are such a filial daughter. Incredible. You wouldn’t say you are young. Your wisdom amazes me. Can I ask how old you are?” Drake’s interest in her and her story was growing.

“You don’t ask a girl her age! Didn’t your mother teach you that?” She mocked him in a playful mode. “I’m eighteen.”

“Eighteen?! Wow! So, you are young.” He was perplexed. Not that I would have been less older than you, but you are only a kid for God’s sake. His chest was pounding in attraction to her.

“Why surprised?” She smirked.

“No, just that your mind and speech are that of an adult. That’s a good thing. Didn’t want to imply anything else.” He banned his real thoughts.

“Thanks, Drake. You are kind. Oh, there is my company! You can pull over here.” She indicated a near parking lot, taking off her seatbelt, preparing to get out of the car.

“That’s your company? Moridial Pharmaceutics?” Drake was hit by a shock inside. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! This is Thomas’s new target! The businessman is Master! This is not going to go well. I must go with her! An unknown panic captured Drake to the thought of the following events, and the strange pressure of wanting to protect Mika.

“Yep. That’s me. Alright then, see you later, when I will finish. That is, if you are still willing to wait. I would love to pay for launch as a thanks for driving me here, my new friend!” She had an innocent smile, to show that she really wanted to continue their platonic friendship. In reality, she didn’t have many friends, and Drake seemed a good guy.

“Wait! Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you? It wouldn’t do any harm to have an extra person with you. After all, you’re the CEO there.” Drake attempted to make her accept him going there with her. He had to be there with her.

“It’s fine. I can deal with it. Just wait here. I will try to finish it as fast as I can. See you later!” Mika closed the car’s door without allowing Drake to say more.

“I can’t fucking believe this!” Drake yelled alone in the car, slamming the stirring wheel and taking his shades off. “I have to call Thomas, but he wouldn’t reply in a business meeting. He shuts his phone. I can’t reach the assistant, it’s a delicate matter. What should I do? She’s dead meat in there! Fucking think, Drake!” He panicked, trying to find a way to help Mika, but not disturb or offend Thomas. Last time he did that, thirty years in the past, Master tortured him, badly, for it. Thomas would allow him to do anything he wanted, but not to cross him or disobey his orders. “I have to go upstairs without letting anyone important to see me.” He got down from the car and went on with the plan.

“Madam, here is the agenda and proposal. Sign here for taking over the company, and we shall go in the meeting to deal with the competitor.” Instructed Mr. Vincent Polard, her late dad’s attorney, who was head of the legal department and her dad’s right hand in the past. Vincent Polard was a short plump guy in his fifties and had ginger hair with a start of baldness. He had small blue eyes, thin glasses, and blushed cheeks. A dark grey suit that would scream on him and a bit of a heavy walking were his signature.

“Your son informed me over the contents. Let me check them again. I also am aware of today’s meeting with the shark.” Mika was going through the legal papers again with keen eyes. “Shark” was the term her father used when dealing with people who wanted to buy his business and to all that weren’t good to his business. H had said the same thing about Vincent at one point, that was why her mom was against Polard and his family. Her father hadn’t said why he named him like that. So, Mika needed to be on guard with him, too, just to be sure. “There. I’ve signed it. Let’s go and see this shark!” She stood up from her office with a dignified stance and attitude.

“Madam, please, be careful. This one is no ordinary shark. He’s the big one. He has a sharp tongue and always gets what he wants. He will try to intimidate you, especially seeing you so young. And….” Vincent informed his now CEO while going to the meeting room.

“Don’t worry. It’s to my leverage for him to think like that. I will end this nicely for the company.” Mika owned fire in her eyes, turning into a man CEO like her father had been.

Drake managed to get to the tenth floor of the company where the meeting was and saw Mika with a fat monkey guy hurrying to the meeting room. She’s entering the room. Gosh! Thomas, please, be like last night, and take it easy on her! He placed himself on the corner of the wall in the opposite direction of the meeting room, waiting to hear and see if he needed to go inside as Mika’s person to help her. He didn’t care anymore of what his Master would punish him with. It was worth it, he felt.

“This is our new CEO, Mika Reigna. This is Mr. Thomas DiAngelo, CEO of Shutveil Chemicals, who wants to purchase our company, Madam.” Mr. Vincent introduced the parties for the meeting to start.

Thomas was sitting on the chair like a lion in his kingdom until he saw who the CEO was. He stood up with an intense glare at her. He would never stood up for someone at such a meeting. “Who is she?” He managed to gather himself from the impact and ask.

“The new….” Mr. Vincent wanted to repeat, but Mika interrupted him.

“As you heard, Mr. DiAngelo, I am the new CEO. You may be seated now.” She thundered with a strong voice, sitting down on her spot. “Let’s start the meeting. You aren’t the only one on my agenda today.” She left Thomas perplexed of who she was and how she acted.

He eventually sat down but shaken as he had never been. The creature in front of him was the previous night’s little girl, whom he had saved, turned into a lioness that day in front of him, not remembering who he was, and what he had done to her.

Mika opened the file for the meeting and read from it. “You want to buy my company, mister?” She said in an offensive manner.

“I do, miss Regina.” He mocked her back, accentuating her family’s name, suggesting she was acting like a queen in front of him, but being a miss, meaning a kid, as a fact, and not a madam as the attorney introduced her.

“I am glad you are acknowledging me as a queen, Mr. DiAngelo. Here is my kingdom, and it’s mine all the way.” She let him know she picked up his mockery.

“I didn’t want to offend. I was just answering your question.” Thomas, with same mocking tone in his voice.

“Tell me why you want this company.” She leaned her back on the chair with a stance as her father had, ultimate businessman.

“It’s a good deal and great asset to my group. Sure thing, this company must be a burden for such a young lady as yourself. You don’t seem old enough to know all the streams of running a big company like this. Consider it as my help for you of relieving you of the headaches. You are at the age when you need to meet love and live your life, not to play chess with the big guys. The return of this business will be more than satisfying for you and your family to live on high horses for generations to come. I will make sure of that.” Thomas was attacking her weak spots with a vicious smile.

“I thank you for your concern, Mr. CEO, but I can play more than chess with the big guys. As for your proposal, I have to announce you that it is rejected.” Mika closed the meeting’s file and stood up, ready to go, returning a wicked and full of confidence smile.

“Wait!” Thomas’s voice went a level up that could be heard by Drake outside.

“Something else you need to add, mister?” Mika’s back was at Thomas and her head turned just a bit to hear what he had to say. She didn’t want to stay longer than it was needed. Another thing she had learned from her father.

“This company is mine. It’s only a matter of time when my name will be on it. Why would you want to start a war, when we could just get along and everyone be content?” Thomas threw the “white glove” and “battle glove” on the table, with a twist of his head and a burning glare, for Mika to choose.

Mika turned around to face Thomas with fire in her eyes, jaw clenched, and pulling her shoulders back. She pinned him with her glare. “Bring it on, DiAngelo! I love a bloody war! My dad left me the company as he knew I am best fitted for the position to take it on brighter peaks. No one is to put his dirty hands on my father’s blood, sweat and tears that are the foundation of this company! Now, you can take your shit out and find another prey! Here is a dead end for you! Hope I will never see you again in such circumstances! I must excuse myself as I have more important meetings to attend. Goodbye!” She went out, leaving Thomas with no words or chance to engage in a further discussion.

Vincent bowed his head in front of Thomas and walked after her to attend his new CEO.